Lighter construction



July 20, 1948. A, CAMPOS 2,445,513

` LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION Fled Oct. 18, 1944 l 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 20,' 194s, A, CAMPOS 2,445,513

LIGHTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w ad fa 70 60 J6 www;

Patented July 20, 1948 of smilies ear ENT oFF los;

' LieeiEIrCNSTRUG'r-ies AdolplizGampos, Clifton,- N; J. Application October 18, 1944, Serial No; 559,26?

11 This invention appertains toI a lighter construction, for pocket. andv personaluse, and has for its primaryV object to providev a wick` and liquidv fuel type thereof, which embodies certain mechanical refinements that make for greater simplicity and eiciency. inA maintenance and operation; the ignition.. and. extinguishing func.- tions being. `automatically accomplished lby a single hand manipulation of a combined spark producing and ilame snuierl mechanism,

Another object of the invention has, to do with the provision, of a. lighter. of this kind, wherein th-e wick is carried in a holder thatisremovably seated in the filling opening. of the. body or reservoir and evaporation of. the liquid fuel through the wick, during non-use of 'the lighter, is prevented by the eng-agement of the llame snuffel' over vthewick and holder.V

A further object of the. invention lies in the provisionof a lighter as 'hereinbefore characterized, which embodies a flint andlfriction wheel sparker device and an actuator mechanism therefor, and. a means is associated with the 2. Claims. (Cl. 6'7-7.1)

actuator mechanism for gauging. a flint to size for proper sliding t ina. tubularholder, within which, the flint. is spring tensioned against the periphery of the friction wheel,

Yet another object of. theV invention is to. 1n-

corporate the tubular holder. for the. flint Within the body of the. lighter in ra manner thatV the insertion of a flint therein is facilitated, the holder being provided with a side openingfor the insertion therethrough, of an implement to loosen a contained flint, in theevent ofits'. failure to properly. contact the periphery rof the. friction wheel through canting or jamming within the holder.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, the invention resides in` the; certainnew and useful combination, construction. and arrangement ofparts, as will bev hereinafter more fully described, set'forth in -theappended claims, and illustratedin. the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of theVA improved lighter, in accordance withiny invention;

Figure 2 `is a top plan View;

Figur-e Sie a Vertical longitudinal section, taken through the line 3-3' on Figure 2; lookingv in the direction of the arrows;

Figure lis a horizontal section, taken through the line 4--4 on Figure 3, looking in the direction o-f the arrows; l

Figure 5 is a Viewv similar -to4 that-of Figure 4,

24 but is taken through the line 5-5 on Figure 3,; looking in the direction'of the arrows.;

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryvertical, longitudif nal section, taken throughtherline 6 6 on Figu re 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 7 is a View similar. to thatof Figure 6, but is taken .through vthe line T---l on Figure. 4, looking inthe direction of the arrows:

Referring yto the drawings, wherein'A like characters ofreference vdenote corresponding cparts in the several views, the lighter, as it isexemplined therein, is comprised in an elongated metal body or casing, constituting a closed receptacle that is shaped to provide a flat bottom wall l0 and-like verticalside walls 26; Like end portions of the bottom wall lil. are upwardly-angled@ as at l2 and le; and merge into Vertical endwalls i5 and i8, respectively. The upper' end of the angledl portionlZ is inwardly 'curved to merge into a flat ltop wall portion 20, While the lil-:eend of' the angled" portion I4 is similarly curved to merge into a second flat top wall portion 22' which lies in a plane above the top-wallportion 20; the inner ends of the top lwall portions 2l) and (22 being interconneetedby a vertical stepped? wall portion 245 Theinterior fof the body or casing is divided by a horizontall partition 'wall 28- to Iprovide upper and lower chambers 32` and 34, respectively; the upper .chamber 3`2' constituting a lreservoir for a liquid fuel and the lower chamber 3i for storage purposes, orthe latter may be proyidedv witha weight element (not shown) to prevent easy overturning of the lighter, when itfis` supported on a flat surface, such as ak desk or the like. Access is. had to the lower lchamber 3.1i` through any opening that is preferably. formed iny the angled wall portion Ill and normally closed by a removable screw cap or plugg36.

Gpening, through thetopA wall portion.22', ad.- jacent its outer end, is an inlet,v for theintroduction.` of liquid fuel to, the, reservoir, 32;. the inlet being provided with an external,` neck pol;- ti-on or nipplell, which. is interiorly,screwthreaded for. theremovable seating, thereinof? a holder or tip 49o for, a. wick 445, the latter being'. of` a length to extend! well into the reservoir. and t0 have its free end `restluponthe partition 28j, form.- lng the' bottoinwall of the reservoir..

Secured. on the tonwalll portions Ztl. and, 22,. and

shaped to` conform to.thelstepp'ed'arrangeni n. thereof, is a bracketvformedtonrovidaa'bottoni Wall it; and .upstdinsl ears @il rising from. the OgpQSiie. Side edges. of the, .Dertien Ofgtlllef beiten wall" Mithattoverlies thetop Wallportion 22,A of

the body or casing. Stationarily supported at its opposite ends, in the ears 48, is a cylindrical bearing 5|] upon which a sleeve 52 is freely rotatable. Extending from the sleeve 52 is an arm formed of sheet metal and shaped to provide a top wall portion 54 and side wall portions 56, the latter extending beyond the inner end of the top wall portion 54 and terminating in circular portions 58 which are apertured to t over the opposite ends of the sleeve 52 and to which they are splined, as at 60. The outer ends of the side wall portions 56 are connected by a circular end wall 62 which closely encircles the outer side of the neck 48, of the inlet 38 to the fuel reservoir 32, when the arm is normally or inactively positioned. Fitted within the outer end of the arm, in the channel formed between the side wall portions 56, is a cylindrical element 64, which constitutes a snuffer for the wick 44 and is normally seated on the top end of the holder or tip 42, about the wick 44.

Mounted for free rotation on the sleeve 52, between the circular ends 58, of the side wall portions 56 of the snuffer carrying arm, is a friction .wheel 68, that is formed in one piece with a pair of oppositely disposed ratchet wheels 10, which are engaged by complemental resilient fingers or pawls 66, projecting laterally from the top end of the snuifer element 64, for the rotation of the same, whenever the sleeve 52 is itself rotated to swing the arm upwardly to lift the snuffer element from about the wick 44. To ignite the wick end at the holder or tip 42, upon the lifting of the snuffer element therefrom, a fiint 'l2 is tensioned in contact with the roughened or serrated periphery of the friction wheel 68 by a coiled spring 14, which, together with the flint, is housed within a tube 76, that extends downward through the reservoir 32, with its upper end opening through the top wall portion 22 and the bottom porti-on 46, of the body or casing and the angled bracket, respectively, and its lower end through an upwardly angled part 30, of the partition wall 28. By this angular disposition of the tube 16, it is supported in axial alignment with the center of the inlet opening in the angled portion I4, of the bottom wall I 0 of the body or casing, so that, upon removal of the closure cap or plug 36, a tool, e. g., a screw driver (not shown), may be inserted inwardly of the chamber 34 to remove and replace a screw closure 18 employed to close the lower end of the tube 16, or to adjust the same to vary the tension of the coiled spring 14 acting on the flint 12. Upon removal of the screw closure 18, the coiled spring 68 may be withdrawn for the insertion of a new flint inwardly of the tube. The upper end of the tube 16, yimmediately above its point of emergence from the bracket wall 46, is provided with an opening 80 for the insertion of a pin or like implement (not shown) to jiggle the flint 12 in the event of its becoming canted or otherwise jammed within the tube, thus assuring that it will have proper and eiicient contact with the periphery of the friction wheel 68.

For the actuation of the igniter and snuffer mechanism thus provided, an actuator device is mounted on the lower stepped portion of the bracket wall 46, and it is comprised in a tubular guide element 82, rising from the securement of its lower end with the bracket wall, and a movable rack member having a tubular part 86 telescopically engaged therewith, the latter having a pair of laterally offset toothed portions 88 engaged with recesses or sockets formed in the periphery of the opposite end portions of the sleeve 52, at the outer sides of the circular parts 58, of the side wall portions 56 of the snuffer carrying arm. The inner side of the tubular guide element 82 is split vertically, as at 84, for the projection outwardly therethrough of the toothed portions 88 of the actuator, i. e., the movable rack member, when the latter is depressed by pressure on a at finger piece 98 mounted on the top end of the latter. A coiled spring 96 is housed within and between the tubular guide element 82 and the like part 86 of the actuator and normally tensions the latter upwardly of the guide element. The finger piece 90 is formed with a laterally offset part 92, which is provided with an aperture 94 that constitutes a gauge for the selection of ilints of proper size to fit the tube 16, the diameter of the aperture being a shade less than that of the tube, to that end.

In the use of the lighter as thus constructed, the reservoir 32 is to be filled with a liquid fuel at the inlet 38, by the lifting of the snufier 64 and removing the holder or tip 42, together with the wick 44, from the neck 48 of the inlet, while, as before stated, a flint l2 is to be put in place by first removing the closure cap or plug 36 from the inlet to the lower chamber 34 and thereafter removing the screw closure 18 and the spring 'I4 from the tube 16. After a i'lint 'l2 is placed in the tube 16 and in Contact with the periphery of the friction wheel B8, the spring 14 and the screw closures 18 and 36 are replaced in the order named.

In the operation of the lighter, pressure on the finger piece 98 depresses the actuator 86 against the tension of the coiled spring 96. With the downward movement of the actuator, the teeth of the rack elements 88 act to rotate the sleeve 52 in a clockwise direction on the bearing 58, which rotative movement swings the snuiTer carrying arm in an upward direction and lifts the snuffer 64 from about the wick 44, exposing the end of the latter' to sparks generated by the action of the friction wheel 68 on the flint l2. With the upward movement of the arm and the snuifer, the fingers or pawls 65 engage with teeth of the ratchet wheels 16 and rotate them, together with the friction wheel 68, causing the periphery of the latter to abrade the contacted end of the flint 12, the angle of contact of the latter with the friction wheel being such that the sparks therefrom are directed against the end of the Wick 44 protruding from the holder or tip 42. Upon release of the finger piece 98, the spring 96 expands and returns the actuator 86 to its initially elevated position. With the upward movement of the actuator, the rack elements 88 reverse the rotative movement of the sleeve, i. e., anti-clockwise, with the result that the snufier 64 returns to its position of smothering the flame at the wick end, the snuffer coming to rest upon the holder or tip 42.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that I have provided an improved lighter wherein the igniting of the wick and the extinguishing of the same is performed automatically upon the manipulation of the actuator', when the lighter is held in but one hand and the actuator depressed by a linger thereof. Also, the lighter structure is a compact one and is of a pleasing appearance, while its mechanical refinements are such that it is economical in fuel consumption, and easy to maintain in a highly efflcient operative condition.

Having thus fully described a preferred embodiment of my lighter, it will be understood that any and all changes in its design and construem tion of its parts that may fall within the scope of the appended claims, may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a cigarette lighter having the usual fuel reservoir, wick, int, abrading wheel, and snuffer cap, the combination, which comprises a com paratively low casing with a stepped upper surface rectangularly-shaped in plan and with the opposite lower corners of the ends diagonally shaped, said casing having an intermediate horizontally disposed partition with an upwardly extending recess therein in which a surface at one side of the recess extends diagonally in a plane parallel to one of the diagonally-shaped corners of the lower surface'at one end of the casing, a diagonally disposed tubular flint-holding chamber with one end mounted in the diagonal surn face at one end of the recess and perpendicular thereto and the other end mounted in the stepped upper surface of the casing, a cap threaded in an opening in the diagonal surface at the corner of the casing parallel to the surface of the recess in the partition aligned with the flintholding chamber, a screw positioned in the recess threaded in the end of the flint-holding chamber, a spring in the flint-holding chamber, the outer end of said flint-holding chamber extending through the upper surface of the casing and having a flint-contacting opening in the side thereof, a threaded nipple extending upward from the upper surface of the casing positioned in close proximity to the end of the hint-holding chamber, a threaded wick-holding bushing in said nipple, an abrading wheel positioned at the end of said flint-holding chamber, a shaft pivotally mounting the abrading wheel on the upper stepped surface of the casing, a snuffer cap carried by said shaft extending `over the end of the wick-holding bushing, a tube extending upward from and perpendicular to the upper surface of the casing, a tubular actuator vertically slidable in said tube having a nger piece at the upper end, a spring in said tube urging said actuator upward, and means actuating the abrading wheel and snui'fer cap as the actuator is pressed downward.

2. In a cigarette lighter having the usual fuel reservoir, wick, flint, abrading wheel, and snuffer cap, the combination, which comprises a comparatively low casing with a stepped upper surface rectangularly shaped in plan and with the opposite lower corners of the ends diagonally shaped, said casing having an intermediate hori- 6 zontally disposed partition with an upwardly extending recess therein in which a surface at one end of the recess extends diagonally in a plane parallel to one of the diagonally-shaped corners of the lower surface at one end of the casing, a diagonally disposed tubular flint-holding chamber with one end mounted in the diagonal surface at one end of the recess and perpendicular thereto and the other end mounted in the stepped upper surface of the casing, a cap threaded in an opening in the diagonal surface at the corner of the casingparallel to the surface at the end of the recess of the partition aligne-d with the flint-holding chamber, a screw in the recess threaded in the end of the flint-holding chamber, a spring in the flint-holding chamber, the outer end of said flint-holding chamber extending through the upper surface of the casing and having a flint-contacting opening in the side thereof, a threaded nipple extending upward from the upper surface of the casing :positioned in close proximity to the end of the flint-holding chamber, a threaded wick-holding bushing in said nipple, an abrading wheel with ratchet teeth on opposite sides thereof positioned at the end of said flint-holding chamber, a shaft pivotally mounting the abrading Wheel on the upper stepped surface of the casing, a snuffer cap pivotally mounted through said shaft extending over the end of the wick-holding bushing, a tube with a slot in one side extending upward from and perpendicular to the upper surface of the casing, a tubular actuator vertically sli-dable in said slotted tube having a finger piece at the upper end with gear racks extending therefrom through the slot in the tube and meshing with the ratchet teeth of the abrading wheel, and a spring in said actuator and tube.

ADOLPH CAMPOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,610 Lagerholm Jan` 14, 1930 2,045,457 Gabritsch June 23, 1936 2,051,934 Aronson Aug. 25, 1936 2,111,523 Aronson Mar. 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 98,264 Austria Oct. 25, 1924 721,879 France Dec. 23, 1931 

